Display rack system for chair mats

ABSTRACT

A display system may include a display rack having a frame member and a number of cantilevered support rods each coupled to the frame member and extending away from the frame member. In particular, each of the support rods may include an elongate body having a fixed end coupled to the frame member and a free end. A product such as a flat chair mat, may be selectively hung in a generally vertical orientation from one of the support rods via a hanger attached to the chair mat to define a chair mat assembly. The hanger slides over the support rod. By providing a free end on the support rod, a prospective purchaser may easily slide the hanger off of the support rod and thereby remove the chair mat and hanger assembly from the display rack.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention generally relates to display racks used in stores, warehouses, etc., and, more particularly, to a display rack for facilitating high visibility and convenient access, removal, and replacement of flat and/or planar items such as, for example, chair mats.

BACKGROUND

Display racks have been used for many years at points of sale such as, for example, stores and warehouses, to exhibit products to prospective purchasers. Typically, display racks may include at least one hollow support rod having a number of holes extending through a wall of the support rod for receiving the hooked end of a metal or plastic hanger, similar to a conventional coat hanger. The other end of the hanger may be coupled to the product to be displayed. For example, the product may include an aperture for receiving a portion of the hanger, or a tag may be permanently or semi-permanently affixed to the product and may be coupled to the hanger. In any event, the product may hang from the support rod via the hanger. Typically, the support rod may be mounted to a wall or shelving unit, or may be attached to a stand such that the display rack may be free-standing.

Display racks can provide numerous advantages over other arrangements such as conventional shelves. For example, when certain products such as flat and/or planar items are stacked on a conventional shelf, various features of the items may be obscured from view, such that a prospective purchaser may be required to remove one or more of the items from the shelf in order to ascertain qualities of the item which may be relevant to the decision to purchase. In addition, large items may be difficult to remove from the shelf. Likewise, it may be difficult to replace large items on the shelf. Thus, a prospective purchaser may become frustrated and decide against purchasing the item.

While display racks generally provide greater visibility and more convenient access, removal, and replacement of flat and/or planar items over conventional shelves, manufacturers continue to seek improvements to display racks in these and other regards. For example, removing and/or replacing a large, flat and/or planar item from a display rack may be difficult. In particular, a person such as a prospective purchaser or store personnel may struggle to maneuver the hooked end of the hanger out of or into the corresponding hole in the support rod. This may be especially difficult where the item is large enough that the height of the support rod is such that the holes in the support rod exceed the reach of the person. In this case, the person may be required to retrieve a ladder or stool in order to grip the hanger and manipulate the hooked end of the hanger out of or into the corresponding hole in the support rod. In some instances, a person may be able to remove the hooked end from the corresponding hole by gripping a lower portion of the item within reach and manipulating the item to maneuver the associated hanger. This approach, however, may be awkward and may be particularly problematic where the item is a flexible item, such as a chair mat. Chair mats are commonly used in offices and homes to protect carpets, wood, laminate, tile and/or other floor surfaces from scratching or other damage which may be caused by the wheels of a chair rolling thereon, and typically comprise a large, substantially rectangular sheet of polycarbonate, resin, PVC or other flexible material.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a display rack for facilitating high visibility and convenient access, removal, and replacement of flat and/or planar items such as, for example, chair mats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other shortcomings in the prior art have been addressed by this invention which is various embodiments includes a display rack, a number of products to be displayed such as chair mats and a number of hangers, each releasably coupled to one of the products or chair mats.

A display system according to various embodiments of this invention may include a display rack designed to be free standing, selectively mounted to a wall or to a racking or shelving unit. The display rack may include a frame member and a number of cantilevered support rods each coupled to the frame member and extending away from the frame member. In particular, each of the support rods may include an elongate body having a fixed end coupled to the frame member and a free end. A product such as a flat and/or planar item including, for example, a chair mat, may be selectively hung in a generally vertical orientation from one of the support rods via a hanger attached to the chair mat to define a chair mat assembly. The hanger may be configured to slidably engage with the support rod. By providing a free end 24 on the support rod, a person such as a prospective purchaser or store personnel may easily slide the hanger off of the support rod and thereby remove the chair mat and hanger assembly from the display rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display system according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the display rack shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the display rack of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the display rack of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a display system according to another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the display rack shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the display rack of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top elevation view of the display rack of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a chair mat and hanger assembly according to an embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 10 is a top elevation view of a blank which may be used to form the hanger shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a display system 10 includes a display rack 12 designed to be selectively mounted to a wall or to a racking or shelving unit 14. The display rack 12 includes a frame member 16 and a plurality of cantilevered support rods 18 coupled to the frame member 16 and extending away from the frame member 16. In particular, each of the support rods 18 may include an elongate body 20 having a fixed end 22 coupled to the frame member 16 and a free end 24. A product such as a flat and/or planar item including, for example, a chair mat 30, may be selectively hung from one of the support rods 18 via a hanger 32 attached to the chair mat 30 to define a chair mat assembly 34. The hanger 32 may be configured to slidably engage with the support rod 18, as described below. By providing a free end 24 on the support rod 18, a person such as a prospective purchaser or store personnel may easily slide the hanger 32 off of the support rod 18 and thereby remove the chair mat and hanger assembly 34 from the display rack 12. Likewise, a person may easily slide the hanger 32 onto the support rod 18 and thereby replace the chair mat and hanger assembly 34 onto the display rack 12. In either case, the sliding of the hanger 32 along the support rod 18 may be accomplished by pulling and/or pushing the chair mat 30 in the desired direction, without necessarily gripping the hanger 32 itself. Thus, the chair mat 30 may be easily accessible to persons, including persons of varying heights, without the use of a ladder or stool. The features of the display system 10 and display rack 12 are set forth in further detail below to clarify each of these functional advantages and other benefits provided in this disclosure.

With specific reference to FIGS. 1-4, the frame member 16 of the display rack 12 may include an elongate body 40 having a proximate end 42 and a distal end 44. As shown, the support rods 18 may be rigidly coupled to the elongate body 40 at their fixed ends 22 in regular intervals, and may extend in a direction perpendicular to the elongate body 40 of the frame member 16 and such that, when in use, the support rods 18 are substantially horizontal. Alternatively, the support rods 18 may be removable from the elongate body 40 at the distal end 44 or hinged thereto. However, in other embodiments the support rods 18 may extend in a direction that is not perpendicular to the elongate body 40, and may be spaced apart from each other in any desired manner. The support rods 18 may be rigidly coupled to the elongate body 40 by any suitable means such as, for example, brackets, mounting hardware, welding, molding, and the like. In one embodiment, the support rods 18 may be hingedly coupled to the elongate body 40 at their fixed ends 22 so as to allow the support rods 18 to pivot relative to the frame member 16. While the support rods 18 are shown as each having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, each support rod 18 may have any other suitable cross-sectional shape such as, for example, a circular, square, or other polygonal shape, as may be desired.

In one embodiment, the frame member 16 may be curved or sloped, such that when in use (e.g., when mounted to a wall or shelving unit 14) the proximate end 42 is lower than the distal end 44. In this manner, the cantilevered support rods 18 may be coupled to the frame member 16 in a tiered or cascading arrangement, such that when in use a cantilevered support rod 18 positioned near the proximate end 42 is lower than a cantilevered support rod 18 positioned near the distal end 44. The cascading arrangement may provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, in particular from a front (FIG. 3) or side view (FIG. 4) of the display rack 12. In addition or alternatively, the cascading arrangement may allow a person to readily ascertain a quantity of chair mats 30 stocked on the display rack 12 from a front view thereof, such as by counting the number of hangers 32 visible. In one embodiment, the cascading arrangement may accommodate persons of varying heights. In addition or alternatively, taller chair mats may be hung from the higher support rods 18 (e.g., near the distal end 44) while shorter chair mats may be hung from the lower support rods 18 (e.g., near the proximate end 42).

While the cascading arrangement in the embodiment shown is attributable to the curved configuration of the frame member 16, it will be appreciated that the same or similar arrangement may be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, the frame member 16 may include a substantially planar body rather than an elongate body and may not be curved or sloped. In this case, the support rods 18 may nevertheless be coupled to the body of the frame member at various locations such that when in use the support rods 18 are positioned at varying heights to form a cascading arrangement. Alternatively, the frame member 16 may include an elongate body that is substantially straight, such that the support rods 18 are positioned at a substantially uniform height when in use. Other configurations of the frame member 16 and other positions of the support rods 18 thereon may be used to achieve any desired arrangement of the support rods 18.

As shown, the frame member 16 may include first and second mounting brackets 50, 52 coupled to the frame member 16 for selectively mounting the display rack 12 to a wall or shelving unit 14. In the embodiment shown, the first and second mounting brackets 50, 52 are coupled to the frame member 16 at or near the proximate and distal ends 42, 44 of the elongate body 40, respectively, and are removably coupled to first and second vertical supports 54, 56 of the shelving unit 14, respectively. For example, the first and second mounting brackets 50, 52 may be removably coupled to the first and second vertical supports 54, 56 by fastening members such as bolts 58. In another embodiment, the mounting brackets 50, 52 may be eliminated and the elongate body 40 of the frame member 16 may be directly removably coupled to the first and second vertical supports 54, 56, such as at proximate and distal ends 42, 44. Alternatively, the frame member 16 may be coupled to the shelving unit 14 in any other suitable manner such that the support rods 18 are each oriented in a substantially horizontal direction.

Turning now to FIGS. 5-8, wherein like numerals represent like features, in an alternative embodiment a display system 10′ may include a first display rack 12 a that is configured to be free-standing. To that end, the display rack 12 a may include a stand 70 a coupled to the frame member 16 a of the display rack 12 a for supporting the frame member 16 a on a surface such as, for example, a floor. The stand 70 a may include a base member 72 a resting on the surface and a vertical support member 74 a extending from the base member 72 a to the frame member 16 a. As shown, the frame member 16 a and vertical support member 74 a may be formed together as a unitary piece. Alternatively, the frame member 16 a and vertical support member 74 a may be manufactured separately and coupled together. For example, the frame member 16 a and vertical support member 74 a may be coupled together at the proximate and distal ends 42, 44 of an elongate body 40 of a frame member 16 similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-4.

In one embodiment, the vertical support member 74 a of the stand 70 a may include first and second vertical beam portions 80 a, 82 a , a horizontal beam portion 84 a extending between the first and second vertical beam portions 80 a, 82 a, and a siding portion 86 a for concealing the contents of the display rack 12 a from a side view thereof (FIG. 7). In addition or alternatively, the siding portion 86 a may include visual indicia for describing or advertising the contents of the display rack 12 a. As shown, the first and second vertical beam portions 80 a, 82 a, horizontal beam portion 84 a, and siding portion 86 a may be integrally formed together as a unitary piece. Alternatively, various components of the vertical support member 74 a may be manufactured separately and coupled together, such as by brackets, welding, and the like.

In one embodiment, the base member 72 a of the stand 70 a may include a plurality of horizontal beam portions arranged in a braced configuration such as, for example, a triangular pattern. For example, as shown, first, second, and third horizontal beam portions 90 a, 92 a, 94 a may be manufactured separately and coupled together. Alternatively, various components of the base member 72 a may be integrally formed together as a unitary piece. The first horizontal beam portion 90 a of the base member 72 a may be coupled to the horizontal beam portion 84 a and/or vertical beam portions 80 a, 82 a of the vertical support member 74 a in order to form the stand 70 a. It will be appreciated that various other configurations of the vertical support member 74 a and/or base member 72 a may be used to form a stand 70 a for supporting the frame member 16 a of the display rack 12 a thereon such that the cantilevered support rods 18 a are each oriented in a substantially horizontal direction.

As shown, additional cantilevered support rods 98 a may be coupled to the vertical support member 74 a and extend away from the vertical support member 74 a in a manner similar to the support rods 18 a mounted on the frame member 16 a. For example, additional support rods 98 a may be mounted to the first vertical beam portion 80 a of the vertical support member 74 a. In one embodiment, the additional support rods 98 a may extend in substantially the same direction as the support rods 18 a mounted on the frame member 16 a. When in use, the additional support rods 98 a may be used for selectively hanging therefrom items similar to those hung from the support rods 18 a. In one embodiment, an item hung from an additional support rod 98 a may be shorter than a similar item hung from a support rod 18 a. For example, as shown, a relatively short chair mat 30′ may be hung from an additional support rod 98 a and a relatively tall chair mat 30 may be hung from a support rod 18 a.

In one embodiment, the display system 10′ may include a second free-standing display rack 12 b positioned in a back-to-back relationship with the first display rack 12 a. As shown, the first and second display racks 12 a, 12 b may be coupled together to define, at least in part, a dual display system 10′. To that end, the frame members 16 a, 16 b of the first and second display racks 12 a, 12 b may be coupled together via a crossbeam 100. In addition or alternatively, the first and second display racks 12 a, 12 b may share various components of the respective stands 70 a, 70 b. As shown, a signage frame 102 may be mounted to the crossbeam 100 for displaying indicia describing or advertising the contents of either display rack 12 a, 12 b. The dual display system 10′ may be useful in situations where it is desirable for persons such as prospective customers to be able to view and access items from a variety of locations. For example, the dual display system 10′ may be positioned in the middle of an aisle, such that persons on one side of the aisle may view and access items hanging from the first display rack 12 a, while persons on the other side of the aisle may view and access items hanging from the second display rack 12 b. Moreover, the dual display system 10′ provides more stability to the display racks 12 a, 12 b in an effort to inhibit each of the racks 12 a, 12 b from tipping over, especially when fully loaded with chair mats 30.

With specific reference now to FIGS. 1, 5, 9, and 10 a hanger 32 may be coupled to a flat and/or planar item such as a chair mat 30 to form a chair mat and hanger assembly 34, which may be hung from a cantilevered support rod 18. To that end, the hanger 32 may be formed from a blank 110 (FIG. 10), which may be constructed of a paperboard, plastic, or other suitable material. As shown, the blank 110 may include upper, middle, and lower portions 112, 114, 116 separated by first and second fold lines 120, 122, respectively. Fastening holes 130 are provided in each of the upper and lower portions 112, 116 in pairs positioned symmetrically with respect to a centerline of the middle portion 114. Handle apertures 140 may be provided in each of the upper and lower portions 112, 116 and positioned symmetrically with respect to a centerline of the middle portion 114. The blank 110 may be folded about the fold lines 120, 122 such the fastening holes 130 in the upper portion 112 align with the corresponding fastening holes 130 in the lower portion 116 and the handle aperture 140 in the upper portion 112 aligns with the handle aperture 140 in the lower portion 116, in order to form the hanger 32 (FIG. 9). The hanger 32 may be coupled to the chair mat 30 by inserting fasteners through the fastening holes 130 of one of the upper or lower portions 112, 116 and the chair mat 30 and into the corresponding fastening holes 130 in the other portion. In one embodiment, the fastening holes 130 may be aligned with corresponding grommets (not shown) in the chair mat 30 and fasteners such as pins (not shown) may be placed therethrough. Alternatively, any other suitable fasteners may be used such as staples, thread, wire, adhesive, rivets, buttons, clasps, or the like. In some embodiments, the fastening holes 130 and/or grommets may be eliminated, such as when using staples. The fastening members may be removable such that the hanger 32 may be removed from the chair mat 30 without causing substantial harm or damage to the chair mat 30.

With the hanger 32 attached to the chair mat 30 to form the char mat and hanger assembly 34 (FIG. 9), the upper, middle, and lower portions 112, 114, 116 may define a slot 150 for receiving a support rod 18 such that the hanger 32 may be slidably disposed thereon. In one embodiment, a size and/or shape of the slot 150 may generally correspond to a size and/or cross-sectional shape of a support rod 18 from which the chair mat and hanger assembly 34 is to be hung. For example, a width of the slot 150 may generally correspond to a width of the support rod 18. This configuration may minimize undesirable swinging of the chair mat 30 when hanging from the support rod 18 and/or when being slid therealong. In another embodiment, a size of the slot 150 may be substantially greater than a cross-sectional size of the support rod 18 such that it may be easier to maneuver the hanger 32 onto the support rod 18. As shown, the width of the slot 150 may be at least partially defined by a width of the middle portion 114. However, in other embodiments the middle portion 114 may be eliminated and the upper and lower portions 112, 116 may be folded about a single fold line (not shown) and flexed away from each other to define a slot.

In use, the hanger and chair mat assembly 34 may be hung on a display rack 12 by receiving a free end 24 of a support rod 18 in the slot 150. The hanger 32 may then be slid along the support rod 18 toward the fixed end 22 to a desired position on the support rod 18. In one embodiment, this may be accomplished by a person manipulating the chair mat 30 to maneuver the hanger 32 along the support rod 18 without gripping the hanger 32 itself. The hanger and chair mat assembly 34 may subsequently be removed by a reverse process. In particular, the hanger 32 may be slid along the support rod 18 toward the free end 24 until the support rod 18 is no longer received within the slot 150. The person may then grip the chair mat 30 and/or hanger 32, such as by the handle apertures 140, and carry away the hanger and chair mat assembly 34. The hanger 32 may be removed from the chair mat 30 and disposed of prior to use of the chair mat 30. Thus, the display assembly 10, 10′ and/or display rack 12, 12 a, 12 b may facilitate high visibility and convenient access, removal, and replacement of the chair mat 30. While the chair mat 30, 30′ shown is substantially square in shape, the display system 10, 10′ may be used for a chair mat having any other configuration.

It will be appreciated that numerous variations may be made to the display system 10, 10′ and/or display racks 12, 12 a, 12 b. For example, various signage or other indicia may be incorporated, such as by mounting a signage frame to the frame member 16. Variations in size of the display rack 12, 12 a, 12 b may also be possible. For example, narrower display racks may be desired for smaller stores. The number of cantilevered support rods 18, 18 a, 18 b, 98 a, 98 b may also be varied to suit the needs of a particular application. In addition or alternatively, the lengths of the support rods 18, 18 a, 18 b, 98 a, 98 b may be varied from those shown. In one embodiment, a display rack 12, 12 a, 12 b may include support rods 18, 18 a, 18 b, 98 a, 98 b of varying lengths to accommodate items, such as chair mats, of varying widths. In yet another embodiment, one or more support rods 18, 18 a, 18 b, 98 a, 98 b may be adjustable in length.

While this invention has been illustrated by a description of various preferred embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The various features of the invention may be used alone or in numerous combinations depending on the needs and preferences of the user. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A display rack, comprising: at least one frame member having a proximate end and a distal end; and a plurality of cantilevered support rods coupled to the at least one frame member and extending away from the at least one frame member such that, when in use, the cantilevered support rods are substantially horizontal.
 2. The display rack of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame member is configured to be selectively mounted to at least one of a wall or a shelving unit.
 3. The display rack of claim 1, wherein the at least one frame member is an elongate frame member.
 4. The display rack of claim 3, wherein the at least one frame member is curved or sloped, such that when in use the proximate end is lower than the distal end.
 5. The display rack of claim 1, wherein the cantilevered support rods are coupled to the at least one frame member in a cascading arrangement, such that when in use a first cantilevered support rod positioned near the proximate end is lower than a second cantilevered support rod positioned near the distal end.
 6. The display rack of claim 2, further comprising at least one mounting bracket coupled to the at least one frame member for selectively mounting the display rack to the wall or shelving unit.
 7. The display rack of claim 1, further comprising a stand coupled to the at least one frame member for supporting the at least one frame member on a surface.
 8. The display rack of claim 7, wherein the stand includes at least one vertical support member and at least one base member.
 9. The display rack of claim 8, further comprising at least one additional cantilevered support rod coupled to the at least one vertical support member and extending away from the at least one vertical support member.
 10. The display rack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cantilevered support rods extend in a substantially uniform direction.
 11. A display system, comprising: at least one display rack including at least one elongate frame member and a plurality of cantilevered support members coupled to the at least one elongate frame member and extending away from the at least one elongate frame member; and at least one hanger slidably disposed over the at least one cantilevered support member, wherein the at least one hanger is coupled to a product for display.
 12. The display system of claim 11, wherein the at least one hanger includes a slot configured to be received over a free end of one of the cantilevered support members.
 13. The display system of claim 11, wherein the at least one hanger is formed from a blank having an upper portion and a lower portion and at least one fold line therebetween, and wherein the blank is folded about the at least one fold line to form the at least one hanger.
 14. The display system of claim 13, wherein the blank is constructed of at least one of a paperboard and plastic material.
 15. The display system of claim 11, wherein the at least one display rack includes two display racks positioned in a back-to-back relationship.
 16. The display system of claim 15, wherein the two display racks are coupled together.
 17. The display system of claim 11 wherein the product for display is a chair mat.
 18. The display system of claim 17 wherein the hanger is removably attached to the chair mat proximate a peripheral edge of the chair mat.
 19. The display system of claim 11 further comprising: a plurality of the cantilevered support members each extending generally parallel with each other cantilevered support member; and a plurality of the hangers each coupled to one of a plurality of the products for display and suspended from one of the cantilevered support members.
 20. A display system, comprising: a display rack including an elongate frame member and a plurality of cantilevered support members coupled to the elongate frame member and extending away from the elongate frame member, the plurality of cantilevered support members being generally parallel to each other; a plurality of hangers each slidably disposed over one of the plurality of cantilevered support members, each hanger including a slot configured to be received over a free end of one of the cantilevered support members; wherein each hanger is formed from a blank having an upper portion and a lower portion and at least one fold line therebetween, and wherein the blank is folded about the at least one fold line to form the hanger; and a plurality of chair mats each of which is releasably coupled to one of the hangers and suspended in a generally vertical orientation for display; wherein each hanger is removably attached to one of the chair mats proximate a peripheral edge of the chair mat. 